This invention relates to the field of sealing members, and in particular those which are able to seal the large opening in a catch basin through which a relatively large diameter drain pipe enters the catch basin, for example, or through which any kind of a relatively large diameter elongated member enters a chamber of some kind which has to be sealed against leakage. The opening in the catch basin ranges from about five inches in diameter to receive a drain pipe of about four and a quarter inch outer diameter to about nine and a half inch opening to receive a drain pipe of about eight and a half inch outer diameter.
Prior art items in this field of which the inventor is aware include those disclosed in the following United States patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,312 Issued Jun. 25, 1996
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,040 Issued Feb. 15, 1994
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,143 Issued Dec. 10, 1991
U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,940 Issued Mar. 6, 1990
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,970 Issued Feb. 27, 1990
U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,036 Issued May 5, 1987
U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,437 Issued Oct. 23, 1984
U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,780 Issued Nov. 3, 1981
U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,868 Issued Aug. 5, 1980
U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,190 Issued May 20, 1980
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,747 Issued Nov. 17, 1970
U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,121 Issued May 20, 1969
U.S. Pat. No. 2,039,009 Issued Apr. 28, 1936
The foregoing patents are in the public domain available to the public at large and anyone having an interest in the subject matter with which the present invention is concerned.
The present invention provides a number of improvements over the prior art in this field. The present invention is particularly beneficial for use in such things as golf course construction and other construction projects wherein a number of catch basins have to be installed to which relatively large diameter drain pipes are connected to provide proper drainage. The typical drain pipe ranges in diameter from about four and a quarter inches up to about eight and a half inches. The openings in the catch basin have a correspondingly large diameter ranging from about five inches up to about nine and a half inches. The sealing members to seal such large diameter openings therefore have to be correspondingly larger diameter than any similar kind of sealing member known to the prior art.
A typical catch basin consists of a cylindrical member about two or three feet long to be installed vertically in the ground with its open top wall even with ground level covered by a grate or lid. The bottom wall opening of the cylindrical catch basin is closed by cement or the like. Laterally extending drain pipes below ground level are connected to the catch basin at a level about six or seven inches above its lower edge, through circular apertures cut through the cylindrical side wall of the catch basin. Such apertures have to be sealed to prevent water in the catch basin from seeping back out.
The sealing gaskets in accordance with the present invention comprise an annular ring member having a central cylindrical bore whose diameter corresponds to that of the drain pipe to be connected to the catch basin. The annular ring member is preferably about three-fourths of an inch thick or three-fourths of an inch in lateral dimension from one side wall to the other. An annular groove is cut around the annular member midway between its side walls, having a groove width of about three-eighths of an inch to about a half-inch to snugly receive therein the peripheral edge portion of a catch basin cylindrical wall about three-eighths to one-half inch thick.
The annular groove divides the annular ring into a pair of annular flanges which will bear against and seal the inner and outer surface of the side wall of the catch basin surrounding the drain pipe entrance hole when the sealing gasket is fully in place.
The annular groove is about three-fourths to seven-eighths of an inch deep, terminating inwardly at an annular groove floor.
The sealing gasket is made of a flexible compressible material such as rubber or a rubberlike compound material. A preferred material is known as 60 Durometer EPDM Jasper MF 6057, which is available from suppliers of gasket material.
To determine the diameter size of the hole to be cut in the cylindrical side wall of the catch basin, a template is provided which defines a circle having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the annular groove floor of the groove cut in the annular ring. When the hole of such diameter is cut in the side wall of the catch basin, the flexible compressive annular ring is worked into the hole, inserting the peripheral wall edge around the hole into the annular groove until fully seated therein to abut against the annular groove floor. At such time, one of the annular flanges is in sealing bearing relationship against the outer surface of the catch basin wall surrounding the drain pipe entrance hole, and the other annular flange is in sealing bearing relationship against the inner surface thereof.
When, the sealing gasket is in place around the drain pipe entrance hole, the end of the drain pipe to be inserted is positioned to enter the cylindrical bore of the sealing gasket. Such end of the drain pipe is preferably bevelled to facilitate entry. The drain pipe should be pushed through the cylindrical bore of the sealing gasket by hand preferably, so as to prevent rolling of the gasket. When the drain pipe has been pushed through the central bore of the gasket and begins to protrude into the cavity of the catch basin, a pipe bar can then be used to force the pipe further into the catch basin until it extends therein about one inch.
The sealing gasket in accordance with this invention may thus be easily and quickly installed to seal the opening through which drain pipes are connected to a catch basin. Other applications and uses of this sealing gasket may also be made, whenever it is necessary to seal the opening through which an elongated member extends into a chamber having a fluid therein which could otherwise leak out were it not for such seal.